The eleventh International Engine of the Year Awards winners have just been announced and this year it has been a big victory for Porsche, who has taken out the coveted ‘Best New Engine of the Year’ title for its 3.8L flat-six engine from the 911 Carrera S. Output of the 3.8L power unit in the S-models is up by 30hp (22kW) to 380hp (283kW) for 2009, pushing the Carrera S beyond the speed barrier of 186mph (300km/h) for the first time.

But it wasn’t just the power that impressed the judges from the British specialist journal Engine Technology International. It was the efficiency and driveability of the engine as well.

Despite this supreme power and performance, the new models in the 911 range once again boast a significant reduction of fuel consumption. The pick of the bunch was the 911 Carrera S with the PDK gearbox offering the best mix of performance and fuel economy, delivering an average fuel consumption of just 23mpg (10.2L/100km). All in all, the new engine represents an 8.5% increase in power and a 13% reduction in fuel consumption when compared with the outgoing version.

The ‘Best Performance Engine’ title went to luxury marque Mercedes Benz for its 6.2L V8 engine, although the hand-built unit actually comes from the AMG performance arm. Other important titles include the ‘Green Engine of the Year’, which went to Volkswagen’s 1.4L TSI TwinCharger, as well as the ‘Above 4.0L Class’, which also went to Mercedes’ 6.2L V8.